How to do a proper snag walk-through before handover

Handover day is when most homeowners make their costliest mistake: accepting the keys before completing a thorough snag walk-through. In the excitement of finally getting your renovated home, defects get missed. Once the final payment is made and the vendor's team has left, getting them back to fix anything becomes exponentially harder. Do the snag walk-through right, and you hold the power. Skip it, and you surrender your most valuable leverage.

Start the walk-through with good lighting — bring a strong torch for dark corners, inside cabinets, and behind appliances. The best time is midday with all window covers open, or in the evening with every light fixture on. Your objective is systematic documentation: photograph everything, with your phone's timestamp visible in frame where possible.

In the kitchen, open every cabinet and drawer. Test each soft-close mechanism — it should close silently and smoothly, not slam or drag. Check shutter alignment: when the doors are closed, the gaps should be consistent top-to-bottom and left-to-right. Press each corner of every shutter surface — delamination announces itself as a slight hollow sound. Test the hob, sink drain, and all tap fittings under running water before signing off.

For wardrobes, test every channel runner under load — place a few garments in and slide the shutters. Runners that were easy when empty often stutter under weight if they're under-spec. Check that internal fittings (shelves, trouser hangers, accessory trays) are the brand and grade specified in the BOQ. Examine the top and bottom panels of each unit for levelness.

False ceiling and electrical: test every light switch and socket. Check that cove light strips are continuous with no dark patches. Run your hand along false ceiling edges to check that the junction between gyp board and wall is smooth and straight. Tap the ceiling surface lightly — hollow sections indicate poor adhesion.

Flooring: examine grout lines for consistency and completeness. Check tile edges at the room perimeter — any lippage (tiles slightly higher or lower than adjacent tiles) that you can feel with your foot will become more obvious over time. Check skirting alignment and painting behind skirting.

Bathrooms require special attention. Run all taps and flush the toilets to check water pressure and drainage speed. Look under basins and behind WC connections for any visible moisture or staining. Check that sanitary fittings are the specified brand (visible on the body of most Kohler, Jaguar, and American Standard products). Test shower controls and check that hot water arrives within a reasonable time.

Compile your snag list in writing — not a verbal list, not voice notes. A numbered list with photographs attached, shared via email with the vendor, creates a formal record. Agree a resolution timeline: typically 7–10 working days for items identified at handover. Do not release final payment until all items on the snag list are signed off by you, in writing.